Retaining mechanism for casters or the like



Aug. 18, 1936. H. M. EPSTEIN 2,051,251

v I RETAINING MECHANISM FOR CASTERS OR THE LIKE Filed June 26, 1955 ma 20 14b 23 INVENTOR HARRY M. EPs'rEIN Wmmm ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 18, 1936 RETAINING MECHANISM FOR CASTERS 01R. THE LIKE Harry M. Epstein, New York, N. Y.

Application June 26, 1935, Serial No. 28,462

4 Claims.

The invention relates to adjustable retainers for casters or the like, preferably for use in connection with tubular legs of metal furniture.

In the manufacture of metal tubing, such as ordinarily used in the construction of furniture, no attempt is made to hold the inner diameters of the tubing within close limits. It is the principal object of the invention to provide a caster with means which may be readily expanded for adjusting the same to fit the varying inner diameters of such aforesaid tubing.

Another object resides in the provision of a caster retaining device which is adaptable to securely engage the side walls of a socket and retain the caster from accidental disengagement therefrom and which is rigid in construction whereby it is capable of withstanding the usual rough usage.

A further object is to provide a mechanism which may be expeditiously inserted into a socket and which comprises a minimum number of parts resulting in economical manufacture.

Still other objects of my invention will become apparent in the following specifications and the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, of a preferred form of a caster having retaining means embodying the principles of my invention secured to the end of a tubular metal leg;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the plane of line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the plane of line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one of the wedge members of the retaining mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a. longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, of a roller caster having a somewhat modified form of retaining means for securing it to a socket;

Fig. 6 is an application of the principles of the invention for securely fastening a hook or other element to a socket; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are modified cross-sectional views of the wedge members of the device. I

Like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views and the following specification.

In Fig. 1, I is the bottom portion of a tubular .metal leg of a piece of furniture. H is a sliding caster of cup shape having a bottom I2 and curved sides l3 of the usual construction well known in the art. A caster stem l4 having a head I is resiliently supported and secured to the inside curved side walls of the caster ll ,by a spiral spring l6 which'frictionally engages that part of the stem immediately above the head. Abutting the end of the leg I0 is a washer l1. I8 is a washer of rubber or other resilient material interposed between the washer I I and the top of the curved sides I3 ofthe caster ll. 19 is a washer fitting closely within the side walls of the leg -|EI and positioned immediately above the washer l1. Washers I1, I3 and I9 are centrally fitted closely over the caster stem I4.

20 are wedge members --substantiallycylindrical in shape having each one end 2! at right angles to its longitudinal axis, and its other end 22 in angular relation to aforesaid end 2| thus forming an oblique top to a square base, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, the ends 2| of the members contacting with each other. Each of the members 20 is bored out centrally with a hole 23 considerably larger in diameter than the caster stem l4.

24 is a nut screwed onto a threaded top of the caster stem It and 25 a washer betweennut 24 and the top of the upper member 20.

The caster is applied to the leg ID as follows:

The entire assembly is completed as shownin Fig. 1. The two wedge members 20 are then slightly turned upon their longitudinal axes until the lateral distance between their long sides is just enough to cause frictional engagement of these sides with the inside diameter of the leg I0. The assembly is then inserted into the leg and the caster by hand, given a rotary movement. This will screw the caster stem l4 further into the nut 24 which does not turn because of being frictionally held in contact with the washer 25 and the top wedge member 20. This rotary movement then causes the two wedge members 20 by reason of their oblique contacting surfaces 22 to be drawn towards each other which increases the pressure of its long sides against the inner side walls of the leg l0 until the members are securely locked to the walls by frictional contact therewith.

The inner bores 23 of the Wedge members 20 are made large enough to permit the lateral sliding motion of the members without placing any strain upon the caster stem M. The Washer I 9 serves the purpose of keeping the caster stem l4 and thereby the caster H in a position central with respect to the tubular leg I0.

In order to remove the caster from the leg, it is only necessary to turn the caster in a direction opposite to the one described above when the wedge members 20 will become disengaged from the inner side walls of the leg and when the has'a stepped upper portion I90, to. fit closely the entire assembly can readily and easily be extracted therefrom.

In Fig. I have shown a modified form of caster retainer. 'In this form a caster stem Ha is part of a roller caster I la of a constructionwell known in the art. Those parts of this modified form of retainerwhich are identical to andfunction the same 7 as parts .used in the retainerillustrated in Figs. '1

to 4am numbered correspondingly. Instead of washers I1 and I 9,'I amusing avwasher lla which inner sidewalls of the leg I0. 26 is a tubular'hous i5, bettercontact between theretainer and the leg.

ing over the wedge members 20, made preferably of rubber, or other elasticmaterial. By means of this elastic jacket 26 I provide a somewhat In all other respects the operation of assembling the retainer, inserting or withdrawing it from V the leg I0 is identical'with the method before described. v

In Fig.:6I have shown a'stem Mb having its outer end' fashioned hook-like at [40 and a pro- 1 jectionlSb to'fit' therecessor socket within I tion employed to retain devices other than casters which the device is to be inserted. This modification illustrates the principles of'the invento sockets. The methods of application are the sameas'the ones described before. 7 V

In Fig. 7 a cross-section of a wedge member 20 7 of theleg and each oi the members 2 Q. This figure changed to a slot 231).

shows in dotted, lines the inner diameter of the leg l0 and the caster stem 14.

e, In Fig. 8, a further modification of the cross section of the wedge member 20 is shown. In this form, one side of the member is curved at 2017 providing awider contact surface with the inner side Wall of -the leg I0. .Thebore 23 has been 'The' applications of the wedge members 20 as V modified in' Figs. 7 and 8 are also identical with the ones. described in connection with the. other figures.

The wedge members may be made of metal, fiber, or even rubber or other elastic material, the

7 important object to be achieved being frictional bodiments of my invention, 1 do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction disclosed, l0 but wish it to be understoodthat various changes in the form, proportion and combination of parts and minor details'of construction may be re- 7 7 sorted to without departing from the principles or sacrificing any of the advantages of the inven- 15 tion, as defined in the appendedclaims.

What I claim as new, is:

'1. Mechanismfor retaining casters or the like in a socket comprising a stem,a plurality of wedge members having contacting inclined surfaces 20 loosely supported upon the stem, an elastic jacket around the wedge members, and means to draw' the members together to cause frictional engagement between the jacket and :the socket.

2. In a retaining mechanism of the kind de-' 25 scribed, a plurality of wedge members each hav ing abase at right angles toits longitudinal axis and a top in"an-gu1ar relation to the base, each member having a substantially polygonailcross section, and means to draw'the members to,- 30 gether. Y V 1 C 3. In a retaining ime'chanism'of thefkind described, a wedge member having a base at right angles to its longitudinal axis and a top in a plane inclined to the base,the member having a limi te d'35 7 ARRY EPSTEIN. 

